Antioxidant Activity of Cnestis ferruginea and Uvaria chamae Seed Extracts

Aim: The antioxidant activity of seed extracts of Cnestis ferruginea and Uvaria chamae was investigated in this study.

Methodology: Samples were collected between November and December in 2016 from a farm in Nigeria. The air dried seeds were macerated with acetone, ethanol and water using standard methods. The antioxidant activity of the seed extracts was investigated by measuring its DPPH, ABTS scavenging activities and its metal chelating and ferric reducing potentials. In addition, total phenolic and flavonoid content of the seed extracts was evaluated.

Results: The seed extracts exhibited potent antioxidant activity in the DPPH and ABTS assay, with the ethanolic seed extract of Uvaria chamae being more effective (IC50 = 34.3 and 29.6 μg/mL respectively) than Cnestis ferruginea. However, the aqueous seed extract of Uvaria chamae exhibited the highest metal chelating activity (IC50= 23.5 μg/mL ), while its ethanolic extract showed higher reducing power than the standard. In addition, high content of phenolics and flavonoids was found in the organic seed extracts.

Conclusion: Seeds of studied plants are rich in natural antioxidants that can be exploited in the treatment of diseases related to oxidative stress.